2004 Census: PMR urban, multilingual, multicultural
People
Pridnestrovie consists of seven administrative-territorial units, among which the total number of permanent population was distributed as follows:
17% of population are younger, and 20% are older than working age.
Not everyone chose to answer, but the information from those who did was added to the census data and provides and interesting glimpse of life in Pridnestrovie.
The 2004 population census in Pridnestrovie took place between 11 - 14 November, 2004. It was the first census since 1989. All permanent residents of Pridnestrovie were counted in the census, with the stated purpose of obtaining statistical and demographic data on the population of republic, its territorial arrangement, social-demographic and economic composition, and also data about a quantity of house management and the housing conditions for population.
According to official census data, the population of Pridnestrovie consists of 555,347 people. In comparison with the last population census, carried out in 1989, the population of Pridnestrovie was considerably reduced. This reduction in the population was caused by various factors, including territorial changes of republic (i.e., the transfer of part of the populated areas under Moldovan jurisdiction, most notably villages around Dubossary) as well as emigration to foreign countries, in part caused by the war in 1992 and in part also caused by lack of economic opportunity for young people in Pridnestrovie; a case which is by no means isolated to Pridnestrovie and which is in fact a normal reason for emigration in other post-Soviet countries as well.
170,000 fewer people than in 1989
Between 1992 and 1996 more than 30,000 people left the republic. This population drain levelled off after 1996: Although emigration continued, it slowed down. The natural loss of population within the period from 1990 through 2004, i.e., deaths versus new births, comprised a little over 17,000 people.
In the 15 years since the last census, Pridnestrovie's total population decreased by more than 170,000 people.
At any given time, approximately 6,5% of the population is living or working abroad.
Two-thirds urban, and more women than men
The population of Pridnestrovie lives in 8 towns and cities and 143 villages. The process of urbanization continues. The relationship of urban and rural inhabitants according to census data is, correspondingly, 68% and 32%.Pridnestrovie consists of seven administrative-territorial units, among which the total number of permanent population was distributed as follows:
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In Pridnestrovie, as in most other countries of the region, the number of women exceeds the number of men. This is mostly due to a shorter life expectancy for men, a pronounced problem all over the post-Soviet sphere in the past two decades. The percent relationship of men and women composes, correspondingly, 46% and 54%.
The predominance of the number of women above the number of men slowly starts to be observed from the age of 30 and upwards. At the agegroup of 70 years, the quantity of women exceeds the quantity of men by a factor of 1:1.5 times, while at the age of 90 years or more, there are 3 times as many women as men in the population.
Curious fact: In Pridnestrovie, a total of 59 people are older than 100 years. Of these, 37 are women.
Working age population: 63%
Those in the working age comprises 63% of the population, with more than 50% of them being women.17% of population are younger, and 20% are older than working age.
Pridnestrovie is getting older. In 1990, the country saw a total of 12,000 new births per year, but by 2004 this number had dropped to just 5,000. This sharp reduction in the birth rate led to strengthening of the overall greying of the population.
Multi-ethnic republic: 3 main nationalities live side by side
Most of Pridnestrovie is slav, with a minority of Moldovans comprising a little under a third. Results of census confirm that Pridnestrovie is a multi-ethnic republic where people of different nationalities equally live on one shared territory.
The main groups are -
Moldavians: 177,000 people (31,9%)
Russians: 168,000 (30,4%)
Ukrainians: 160,000 (28,8%)
There are also substantial minority groups of Belorusians, Bulgarians, Gagauzians, Polish, Germans, Jews. The national composition of the republic changed insignificantly in the intercensus period.
Citizenship and religion
In an anonymous part of the census, people were asked to voluntarily provide demographic data on citizenship and religion.The 555,347 citizens of Pridnestrovie are approximately two-thirds Slav and one-third ethnic Moldavian.
Double citizenship is allowed in Pridnestrovie, with many respondents holding one citizenship as a pledge of allegiance and to show their state affiliation, and another for convenience and travel purposes. Census data shows that approximately one third of the population of Pridnestrovie holds double citizenship.
Those residents who hold citizenship of Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica and chose to identify themselves as citizens of PMR numbered 508,600 people (more than 90,0% of the permanent population of the republic).
Meanwhile, 107,600 thousand people (19,4%) listed themselves as citizens of the Republic of Moldova, while 56,000 people (10,1%) claimed citizenship of the Russian Federation and 44,400 people (8,0%) citizenship of Ukraine. Since this was a voluntary question, approximately 20,000 people who participated in the census did not indicate neither their citizenship or which state they identified with as subjects.
In terms of religion, approximately 90% of Pridnestrovie's population confessed to being Christian Orthodox. 6% chose not to respond, and 4% responded with other religions (Catholic, Jewish, etc).
16,4% unemployment
Unemployment and "sub-employment" is lower in Pridnestrovie than in neighboring Moldova and Ukraine, but still much higher than anyone would like. With a new lower income tax rate (a flat tax of just 10%) and an increased round of privatizations, the opposition-controlled parliament has given a boost to business and it is hoped that unemployment will be brought down significantly through Western-style market based reforms within the next year or two.
In the 2004 census, 16,4% of the population listed themselves as unemployed.
17,8% are students or studying.
31,0% of the population counted itself as being employed, equivalent to about half of the number of inhabitants at the working age.
5,4% of the population relies on family members or others for their maintenance,
8,0% of the population is self-employed or lives off income from business or property.
20,5% list their main source of income as pensions or social security provided by the state of PMR, with around 1,0% of the population relying on the minimum state welfare payments.
